With NHL players returning to the Olympics in 2026, and with a best-on-best international tournament taking place this February, the 2024-25 NHL season will set the early stage for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
Last February, the NHL, NHLPA and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced a preliminary agreement for NHL players to participate in the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
Here’s a look at key Olympic storylines and players to watch during the NHL season:
2026 Olympic men’s hockey tournament: Which teams are qualified?
The 12-team Olympic men’s hockey field is nearly set. All that’s left to decide is whether Russia will be part of it. Russia has been banned from international hockey since shortly after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But it has a provisional place in the Olympic field if the ban gets lifted. The IIHF has not set a deadline for a final decision on Russia’s Olympic spot. If Russia remains banned, France will move into the Olympic field.
2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey groups:
Group A: Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy
Group B: Finland, Germany, Czechia, Denmark
Group C: Russia (if suspension is lifted), U.S., Slovakia, Latvia
Groups if Russia’s suspension is not lifted:
Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
Group C: U.S., Germany, Latvia, Denmark
USA Olympic men’s hockey roster outlook
The U.S. men haven’t won Olympic gold since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. But they boast 2023-24 NHL leading goal scorer Auston Matthews, Norris Trophy (best defenseman) winner Quinn Hughes and Vezina Trophy (best goaltender) winner Connor Hellebuyck, who leads the strongest group of goalies in the world.
Matthews and Hughes were among the first six skaters named to the U.S. roster for next February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, along with defensemen Adam Fox and Charlie McAvoy and forwards Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk. National federations like USA Hockey pick the rosters for both the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics. So the final 23-man team for 4 Nations — announced between Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 — could be an early blueprint for the 25-man Olympic team in 2026.
Players to watch in 2024-25: Luke Hughes, Patrick Kane
Hughes’ older brothers, Quinn and Jack, are already NHL All-Stars and in strong early position to make Team USA. Luke, a 21-year-old New Jersey Devils defenseman, made the NHL All-Rookie team last season. The brothers share the EA Sports NHL 25 cover. If they all make the Olympics, they will be the second set of three brothers to play for one Olympic hockey team after Anton, Marian and Peter Stastny for Czechoslovakia in 1980. Once in history have three siblings competed on the same U.S. Winter Olympic team in any sport: bobsledders Curtis, Hubert and Paul Stevens in 1932, according to Olympic historian Bill Mallon.
Can Kane make one more Olympics at 37 years old? He would be the oldest NHL player on a U.S. Olympic team since 44-year-old Chris Chelios in 2006. In 50 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, he tallied 47 points, ranking 12th among American forwards in points per game played. Olympic rosters usually have 14 forwards.
Canada Olympic men’s hockey roster outlook
Canada won the last two Olympic tournaments with NHL players in 2010 and 2014. Its current group of forwards is the world’s deepest. That includes the last two Hart Trophy (MVP) winners (Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid), the reigning Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) recipient (Connor Bedard) and Sidney Crosby, who scored arguably the most famous goal in Olympic history in 2010.
Crosby, who turns 38 next August, would be the third-oldest Canadian man to play Olympic hockey in the NHL participation era after Martin St. Louis (2014) and Al MacInnis (2002).
Players to watch in 2024-25: Steven Stamkos, Goalies
Stamkos, a seven-time NHL All-Star, was left off the Olympic team in 2010 at age 19, later finishing that season tied for the NHL goals lead. He was initially named to the 2014 Olympic team but missed the Games due to a broken tibia. He was ineligible in 2018 and 2022 due to no NHL participation. Now 34, Stamkos is fighting age to stay among the top Canadian forwards. His 40 goals last season ranked seventh among Canadians. He spent the previous 11 seasons playing for Jon Cooper, who is the Canadian Olympic coach, with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stamkos signed with the Nashville Predators over the summer.
What Canada lacks is a dominant presence in the crease that it had in the past with Patrick Roy (1998), Martin Brodeur (2002, 2006), Roberto Luongo (2010) and Carey Price (2014). It didn’t have a Vezina finalist in any of the last three seasons. A storyline within the league this season will be whether anybody can step up consistently. Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill each won a Stanley Cup, while Stuart Skinner reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season.
Sweden, Finland lead European contenders
Sweden and Finland will join the U.S. and Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The last time the Olympics were in Italy, Sweden beat Finland in the gold-medal game in 2006.
The Swedes’ most accomplished skaters are defensemen Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman, who own a combined four Norris Trophies. Sweden’s top two goalies are each playing for a new team this season: 2023 Vezina winner Linus Ullmark (Ottawa Senators) and 2022 Vezina finalist Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils). The first half of the NHL season could be key in determining the No. 1 for the 4 Nations Face-Off, where a strong performance could impact who starts at the Olympics.
Finland won its first Olympic title in 2022 in the absence of NHL players. It has the most clear-cut goalie situation of the top teams. The Predators’ Juuse Saros led the NHL in starts last season and is a two-time All-Star. Forward Aleksander Barkov captained the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup last season.
